If You Were A General Manager @ a Racetrack

[Dave Schwartz]

I've had rutgers seasons tickets in football but never went cuz I love watcing 22 games at once..

SOMEONE has season tickets to RUTGERS?



Seriously, you must be very loyal.

[thaskalos]

Jeff Platt is right, of course...and we've said similar things here many times before. But it's no use knocking on a deaf man's door...

Even an imbecile could see that the most heavily-taxed gambling game in existence cannot possibly afford to have any integrity problems...but this simple and obvious fact somehow eludes the very people who will be most affected by the game's steady decline...and eventual demise.

At least they won't be able to say that they weren't warned...

[broadreach]

20% better odds if you attend on track. Market the concept "you win more at the track".
Might need some restrictions, but if tracks can control the takeout they could try offering higher odds for those attending.

[wiffleball whizz]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

SOMEONE has season tickets to RUTGERS?



Seriously, you must be very loyal.

Not loyal but for the price it's not bad.....especially when they play a lot of thur-fri night games

I'll be selling next year when the big bad 10 teams come rolling in!!

[TravisVOX]

Originally Posted by cj

This is true, but nothing changes until somebody tries to make changes. How many years have we heard this excuse? No, it isn't an overnight process, but it can be done. When is somebody going to start?

I think there are plenty of people who try and want to reduce takeout and make horse player/customer friendly moves, but the levels of government and bureaucracy you have to go through, including groups who can't or don't want to risk their current revenue for potential future gains, make it a non-starter. Speaking from experience.

Unfortunately, many changes involve drastic adjustments to old laws and for most states in today's world, there are other things they deem more important to occupy their time at the capital.

[TravisVOX]

A couple of thoughts..

The idea that racing is too difficult or hard is probably true. But we all learned it, and others have too. Thus, we shouldn't feel the need to "dumb down" but instead strategically educate. A fan is born, in part, when they put some logical thought together and find a winner. Number players have plenty of other rapid-paced games to whet their appetite.

Off-track wagering dollars would make a meaningful impact but general pricing in the simulcast market is pretty tough for a racetrack. When a track handles $1 million but has a 3-6% host fee (pretty common for mid-range tracks), you're talking about $30,000 - $60,000 in revenue before taxes, purses, expenses etc. Tough go.

[craigbraddick]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

Craig,

I really wish I could bet TDN. It is one of my most profitable tracks.

Unfortunately, they are off my ADW's board.


Dave

Dave:

One of the most frustrating things for me at the moment is the fact our product is better than it has been in many years. Lots of great wagering opportunities but because of this dispute our signal is going nowhere to all intents and purposes. That said we are on Twin Spires and Xpressbet.

Craig

[offtrack]

I would like to get a good cup of coffee at the racetrack. Something equal to coffee-house quality.

[wiffleball whizz]

Originally Posted by craigbraddick

Dave:

One of the most frustrating things for me at the moment is the fact our product is better than it has been in many years. Lots of great wagering opportunities but because of this dispute our signal is going nowhere to all intents and purposes. That said we are on Twin Spires and Xpressbet.

Craig

I'm not a fan of flats but I like tdn.....I've won a few wire bets cus of the angle there....

They need to get that signal exported

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by davew

make it 'family friendly' on weekends
pony rides for kids, photo op with jockeys, family meal deals, hay rides around back stretch

make fridays party night - live band and cheap booze after races


it is not all about gambling, some like the pagentry, colors and sound

Seeing children at a race track makes me want to call child services. A race track is not a petting zoo nor should it be. A child has as much business being at race track as they do being at a blackjack table or a slot machine. It really is all about the gambling. It is adult entertainment.

[sammy the sage]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Seeing children at a race track makes me want to call child services. A race track is not a petting zoo nor should it be. A child has as much business being at race track as they do being at a blackjack table or a slot machine. It really is all about the gambling. It is adult entertainment.

THIS

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Seeing children at a race track makes me want to call child services. A race track is not a petting zoo nor should it be. A child has as much business being at race track as they do being at a blackjack table or a slot machine. It really is all about the gambling. It is adult entertainment.

Wait a second, where has that Kayla Stra thread gone to?



Just keep your rugrats sedate and quiet is all I require.

[craigbraddick]

I disagree, Robert.

Going to the track from a young age got me interested in the sport. I learned about Math, correct behavior in public, how to place a bet, the pitfalls of gambling and enjoyed the spectacle of a wonderful sport.

Craig

[Clocker]

Originally Posted by chadk66

that's also a major contributor. Happened at cby for years with the casino four miles down the road. now that they teamed with the casino and have higher purses and aggressive promoting the attendance is way up I understand.

The casino bought them off. In exchange for some big bucks, mostly for bigger purses, the track dropped its push for racino authority.

I wasn't here in the olden days, but they seem to get good crowds now. I just checked some recent attendance figures, and they seem to average about 6,000 a day. Attendance seems to be helped by promotions. Thursday is Buck Night, with $1 admission and $1 hot dogs and soft drinks. Sunday is family day, with free pony rides, petting zoo, etc.

Note to other tracks: people will spend a lot of money for free or really cheap food. There are long lines at Canterbury for $1 hot dogs or half-price pizza night. That's a lesson a lot of bars and most casinos learned long ago. Also, do whatever possible for off-track betting. Canterbury's off-track handle is about twice its on-track handle.

[PhantomOnTour]

Like many, I agree with Jeff P...

it isn't about the pretty little horsies
it isn't about the majesty and pageantry
it isn't about that ridiculous notion of serendipity and mystical luck
it's about the gambling, dammit......the money

The best advertising a track can do is to just list some of their higher paying $1 trifectas and 10 cent supers; telling the public that this could have been theirs for a very small investment.